BY JACK WATSON

Holding Conservative Views in a Woke Education System

At sixteen, most students look forward to sixth form college for the freedom, new friendships, and fresh academic challenges. For me, there’s another reason: the hope of escaping the suffocating political bias and social backlash that comes with being a young conservative in modern Britain.

Under a Labour government that seems more interested in virtue-signalling than actual governance, schools have become less about education and more about indoctrination.

Don’t get me wrong—my school has given me a lot. The teachers have been supportive, even encouraging, rewarding hard work and ambition. For that, I’m grateful. But gratitude doesn’t mean blind acceptance, and I’ve seen firsthand how the state system pushes a one-sided worldview onto students.

During GCSE revision, an injury meant I swapped PE for extra study sessions. One day, a Year 7 Citizenship class was held in the same room. The topic? Climate change. The lesson wasn’t an exploration of science or policy—it was a guilt trip. We were told the planet was doomed, that emissions were our fault, and that drastic action was the only solution. No debate. No alternative viewpoints. Just fear-mongering dressed up as education.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Issues like immigration, diversity, and gender identity are taught with the same heavy-handed bias. Students aren’t encouraged to think critically—they’re conditioned to accept a pre-approved narrative. Questioning it risks being labelled “backward” or “intolerant.”

I’ve written articles from a conservative perspective, arguing for controlled immigration, traditional values, and free speech. The response? Accusations of racism, fascism, and extremism—none of which are true. I’ve never attacked individuals or judged people for their backgrounds. Yet, some teachers have warned me to avoid “controversial” topics, suggesting my views could harm my future career.

Meanwhile, those same teachers feel no such restraint. I’ve heard them openly mock conservative figures—Donald Trump, Brexit supporters, even journalists I respect—sometimes while looking pointedly at me. The double standard is glaring: students must stay silent, while educators push their politics unchallenged.

Thankfully, I haven’t lost friends over my beliefs. But rumours spread—whispers that I’m “far-right” or “bigoted,” distortions of what I’ve actually said. The worst part isn’t the criticism—it’s the misrepresentation. I’m not some radical. I’m a hardworking student who enjoys sports, reading, and debate.

But in today’s climate, merit isn’t always enough. If your opinions fall outside the approved spectrum, you’re treated with suspicion. And that’s sad.

Education should teach us how to think, not what to think. It should welcome disagreement, not punish it. Yet schools today seem terrified of ideological diversity, treating conservative views as dangerous rather than part of a healthy discussion.

Free speech matters. Without it, we don’t just lose debate—we lose truth. I’m only 16, but I’ve learned this much: if you can’t question things in school, where can you?

And if that makes me controversial—so be it.

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Jack Watson is a 16-year-old schoolboy, who has a Substack about being a Hull City fan. You can subscribe to it here.